How to Vote by Mail (London, Ontario 2026)

As a voters in London, you may want to vote by mail for any number of reasons: convenience, accessibility, mobility, or expecting to be away from London on election day (October 26, 2026).

This article walks you through the simple process registering in advance and how to Vote by Mail.

If you’re in Ward 3, Ben Durham is running for city council and is all for accessibility (and has been for many years before running). Check out everything he stands for by tapping here. If you need assistance in voting by mail, reach out directly to Ben Durham and he or his campaign team will gladly guide you through the process!

For full (and overly excessive) details, please read through this official City of London PDF document. Below is a summary of the most important and relevant parts of that document.

Are you allowed to vote by mail?

Yes, you are eligible to vote by mail as long as you:

• are on the Voters’ List; or
• are able to apply, add, or update your information on the Voters’ List and provide a copy
  of acceptable identification to verify your identity by Monday, September 14, 2026,
  no later than 4:30 p.m.

What you must do to Register (Sept. 14th cut-off)

The Voter must:

• provide a copy of acceptable identification, and
• register online or submit the following:
  a completed Application for Registration for a Vote by Mail Ballot Form (Appendix “B”) between Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and Monday, September 14, 2026, no later than 4:30 p.m.

You must do this in order to receive a Vote by Mail kit.

Note: only a Voter may request a vote by mail ballot. Candidates and Third Party Advertisers
cannot request vote by mail packages on behalf of Voters.

Ask Ben Durham for help, if needed.

What happens after requesting to Vote by Mail?

1. An Assistant Returning Officer will review the Vote by Mail Ballot request to ensure it is complete.
2. An Assistant Returning Officer will confirm the identity of the Voter on the Voters’ List using an acceptable piece of identification provided by the Voter.
3. The Application for Registration for a Vote by Mail Ballot must be approved before a Vote by Mail kit is issued.
   If approved, an Assistant Returning Officer will sign and date the Application for Registration for a Vote by Mail Ballot or approve electronically.
4. If the Application is declined, an Assistant Returning Officer shall notify the Voter.

Reminder: a completed Application for Registration for a Vote by Mail Ballot must be submitted to the Elections Office no later than Monday, September 14, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

When to expect your Vote by Mail kit

On approximately Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the City of London Elections Office will begin mailing the Vote by Mail kits to those Voters who have completed and been approved to receive a Vote by Mail Ballot.

What to expect in your Vote by Mail Kit

1. A voting instruction sheet;
2. A Composite Ballot;
3. An inner Ballot secrecy envelope;
4. A voter declaration form;
5. An outer return envelope with prepaid postage; and
6. Any other necessary material, such as the City Clerk or Assistant Returning Officer,
   determines.

Note: if a Voter registered and was approved for the Vote by Mail kit, but does not receive their
kit, or if the kit is lost or destroyed, a replacement Vote by Mail kit may be issued.
See APPENDIX “C” PROCEDURE FOR REPLACEMENT VOTE BY MAIL KITS on Page 16 of the official Vote By Mail Procedures for City of London Municipal Elections PDF, or ask Ben Durham.

How to fill out your Vote by Mail ballot

Upon receipt of the Vote by Mail kit, each Voter must precisely follow the instructions
provided in the Vote by Mail kit.

The instructions require the Voter to:

1. complete the Ballot;
2. fold and insert the Ballot into the inner Ballot secrecy envelope;
3. seal the inner Ballot secrecy envelope;
4. complete the voter declaration form;
5. place the completed voter declaration form and the sealed inner Ballot secrecy envelope into the yellow prepaid return envelope;
6. seal the prepaid return envelope.

This text is hidden on this blog post by Ben Durham (Ward 3 candidate for city council) as an experiment and proof for if someone shamelessly copies and pastes this article for their own use.

How to mail your Vote by Mail packages

Once you have successfully filled out your Ballot and followed the above steps, you will need to deliver your Vote by Mail package in one of the following ways:

• Mail your prepaid return envelope by Thursday, October 15, 2026, OR
• deliver it to the Elections Office no later than 8:00 p.m. on Voting Day Monday, October 26, 2026, OR
• Deposit your Vote by Mail package in the after-hours outside mail slot located at City Hall prior to Voting Day Monday, October 26, 2026.

Note: the final recommended day for delivery of the completed Vote by Mail packages to Canada Post mail is Thursday, October 15, 2026, to ensure delivery to the Elections Office prior to the Close of Voting.

What to do if you are too late to mail out your vote

Voters who have failed to mail their completed Vote by Mail packages by Thursday,
October 15, 2026, are encouraged to take steps to ensure alternate delivery of the
packages to the Elections Office prior to 8:00 p.m. on Voting Day should they wish for
their vote to be counted. Completed Vote by Mail packages must reach the Elections Office by 8:00 p.m. on Voting Day, or they will not be counted.

Note: only the Voter or an authorized individual may return a completed Vote by Mail package.
Candidates and Third Party Advertisers cannot collect or return completed Vote by Mail
package on behalf of Voters.

Note: the postage paid envelope can only be used for mail originating within Canada.